Page 70 of The Powerless Witch

“You are a vision, my lovely rose,” he said, offering me a hand. When previously I would have scoffed and told him his flattery wouldn’t work on me, now I just smiled while I slipped my fingers into his. There was something about that man that really made it hard to laugh at him—he was so sweet and so genuine that all I wanted to do was cuddle against him. “Shall we?”

“Be careful with the iron,” I warned as he pulled me toward him. He just placed a quick kiss on my fingers before locking my arm around his. Myra opened the door for us, exiting first and leaving us to follow. “What are the chances of your mother or sister attacking me? And what do you want me to do if they do?”

He seemed to think it over for a while, his step never faltering as we walked out of his palace and took the path that would lead us to where the wedding was to be held. The venue was set in one of the bigger valleys of the grove—I could see the preparations from my window over the last two days.

“They will not attack you openly, not while I’m there,” he finally replied, nodding his head to a small group of female Fae that hurried past us. Dressed in the finest silk and chiffon, they looked almost ethereal under the moonlight. Their soft giggles and excited chatters lingered in the air long after they disappeared from sight. “So should anything happen, just stay by my side and let me handle it.”

“Fine,” I murmured. Malakai’s hand squeezed mine.

“Do not play with fire, Celeste, not tonight,” he said in a serious tone. “My people fear you because you've hurt one of them. They weren’t there, they didn’t see why you did it. They only know what they have been told—that you are a killer who does not care for Fae lives. If you hurt someone today, even by accident, that’s what you’ll ever be to them. I want to change that.”

I nodded, and we walked the rest of the way in silence, meeting more and more Fae as they joined the festivities. Some threw me scathing looks or openly frowned, but none spoke a word against my presence. Not after they saw me on Malakai’s arm and wearing all that iron, at least.

The valley was a thing of beauty and magic and power. The little meadow Malakai had taken me to was lovely in its serenity, but this place was the heart of the Fae. Ancient stones, weathered with time, stood tall amidst the lush greenery—a fair representation of the Fae’s long lives in contrast with the constant renewal of the world around them. Vines crawled over the stone, their light casting a warm and inviting glow as the smallest of the Fae hovered about, chasing flutters of butterflies or playing with the woodland creatures lurking in the branches.

Malakai tugged me forward, but I didn’t even glance at him, too entranced by the intricately carved altar in the center of it all, where six pillars, carved to look like tree trunks, held a wide dome. The stone seemed to be covered with something, because when light fell upon its surface, it shimmered, casting back colors like it was alive. Flowers surrounded the steps leading up, vibrant and alive, like everything in this magical place.

“I didn’t see this the last time I was here,” I murmured and felt the weight of Malakai’s gaze on my face.

“This is a sacred place. It is only used for royal weddings and coronations. Outsiders are rarely invited.” I looked at him curiously, but he just winked. “You are one of the very few humans who have seen this. And the only witch, I think.”

I continued to gape at him, so when he leaned down and brushed his lips against my ear, I wasn’t prepared. Even less so for the words that came out of his mouth next, “All of this pales in comparison with your beauty, my lovely rose.”

He raised my hand to his lips and kissed it, his eyes never leaving mine.

“If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you’re trying to lure me into your bed,” I laughed and he chuckled, giving me a wink full of promises. Goddess, if he kept looking at me like that, I was going to turn into the first witch to ride a prince’s cock in this place. “Do you need to do something for the ceremony?”

Malakai accepted the change in subject gracefully, leading me further away from the altar and settling by one of the lower walls of the place. There were no chairs or benches to sit on, which made sense with the Fae endurance, but my feet were already tender from walking so far in my slippers. I leaned on the stone, careful not to squash any creature hiding about, and looked up just as a female Fae appeared, carrying a silver tray with several goblets on it. Her eyes glossed over me, then she focused her full attention on Malakai, smiling as she offered him a drink.

Like most of the Fae, she was wearing a dress that resembled a mix of petals and leaves, her iridescent wings fluttering excitedly behind her. Her gown was simple by comparison to the others I’d seen so far, but I had no doubt that she could outshine the most dazzling of human brides on their wedding day.

Malakai picked up two goblets with a thankful nod, then turned toward me, ignoring her completely. I peeked inside, watching the luminescent green drink slosh around, and when I looked up, the servant was gone. I brought the cup higher to sniff it, but Malakai slid a finger over the edge, nudging it away from my face.

“I wasn’t going to drink,” I scoffed.

“I know. But some of those nectars have a strong smell and as much as I would love to find out what you’d crave or hallucinate about, now is not the time.” I gave him a dry look, noting how the edges of his lips twisted up, but before I could retort, he motioned for me to get up. “It’s starting.”

I pushed myself off the stone, moving to stand next to him as my eyes returned to the altar. His hand slid to my hip, and he pulled me closer, but when I looked at his face in question, he seemed entirely focused on the ceremony.

A figure climbed onto the elevated platform, and I couldn’t help but sneer a little as I recognized the beautiful, sharp face of the Fae Queen. She wore an intricate gown in green and red, with her skirts flowing down as if they were part of the earth itself,and the bodice of her dress shimmering in all shades of crimson, making her look like she was a flower herself.

She stopped with her profile to us, staring with her chin up at the opposite side of the valley. The crowd parted to let someone through and a sigh of admiration escaped my lips before I could stop it. Amantha looked regal for once, her face schooled into a soft, beautiful mask while her pale green dress glimmered like it was made of magic and starlight.

A male Fae held her hand as they walked side by side, his excitement barely contained. He kept glancing at her with eyes full of adoration, as if he couldn’t care less for what was happening around him as long as she was there. A pang of envy shot through my chest but even when I stifled it down, I couldn’t get rid of the feeling of loss I felt.

God, I missed Roman looking at me like that. No, I missedhim—nagging, glaring, controlling, even being a busybody who liked to know every thought in my head. Because even when we fought or disagreed, he always had this look.

“Have you ever been married?”

I blinked in surprise, looking up at Malakai. His eyes never wavered from the couple now climbing the steps to the altar, but it was clear who the question was meant for.

“No,” I replied, clearing my throat. “Marriage was never in my cards.”

“Hmm, who knows,” Malakai murmured, his fingers tapping against my hip. “I think you would look lovely in a wedding dress.”

I rolled my eyes. Once, I had dreamed of that—being someone’s wife, marrying a man I loved. I had given up the notion the night I died. Even now, the idea of marriage seemed ridiculous, especially because I was tied to not one but two men who couldn’t wait for me to say ‘Yes’ before binding me to them forever.

“Well, your sister sure does,” I said when Amantha stopped before the Queen, her excitement shining through her bright purple eyes. “Looking at her now, I could almost believe she is not a total bitch. I guess clothes do make the man—or the woman.”

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